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A Recruiting Process That Works Long-Term

By Peter Bachofner, Partner
Region: Europe, North America

Sector focus: Industry, Building Technology

I AM PROUD TO BE A LONG-TERM PARTNER TO A MID-SIZE COMPANY FOR MANAGING ITS LEADERSHIP TALENT. THROUGHOUT OUR YEARSLONG ENGAGEMENT, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PROVEN PROCESS TO IDENTIFY AND RECRUIT THE BEST CANDIDATES WHEN THEY HAVE OPEN LEADERSHIP ROLES.
WE USUALLY BEGIN WITH AN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE OPEN ROLE CONTRIBUTES TO THE STRATEGY, MARKETS AND BUSINESS. THIS INCLUDES FINE-TUNING THE COMPANY’S BASE COMPETENCY MODEL FOR EACH VACANCY. USING THIS COMPETENCY MODEL AS BASE CRITERIA, MY CLIENT AND I DECIDE TOGETHER WHETHER INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL CANDIDATES (OR BOTH) SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
ONCE I HAVE THE SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION, THE TASKS AND A COMPREHENSIVE COMPETENCY MODEL IN PLACE, I BEGIN INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES. I USE A SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW PROCESS TO LEARN ABOUT EACH CANDIDATE’S EXPERTISE, BACKGROUND, AND PERSONALITY.
AS PART OF THIS, I CONDUCT A LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT FOR EACH CANDIDATE. THIS SCIENTIFIC-BASED ASSESSMENT PROVIDES AN OBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF THEIR LEADERSHIP STYLE AND POTENTIAL.
THEY MIGHT THINK A PERSON WILL BE A GOOD FIT FOR THE ROLE BASED ON HAVING HAD A FEW GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL. HOWEVER, ONCE THAT INDIVIDUAL IS PROMOTED INTO A LEADERSHIP POSITION, IT TURNS OUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PRIORITISATION OR COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO SUCCEED.
THAT IS WHY THE COMPANY HAS COME TO RELY ON MY INTERVIEW PROCESS TO IDENTIFY AND PREDICT CANDIDATES WHO WILL SUCCEED IN THE ROLE. IN PART, THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF THE MU ASSESSMENT TOOLS. HOWEVER, THE TOOLS ARE ONLY POWERFUL WHEN TAILORED TO THE CLIENT. BEFORE CONDUCTING ANY ASSESSMENTS, I MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE REQUIRED COMPETENCIES AND BUSINESS GOALS. OTHERWISE, I MIGHT BE EVALUATING A CANDIDATE ON THE WRONG SKILLS.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW PROCESS CONCLUDES, I PRESENT THE HIRING COMMITTEE WITH ORAL AND WRITTEN REPORTS ON THE TOP CANDIDATES. ONCE THEY HIRE SOMEONE, I CHECK IN REGULARLY TO MAKE SURE THE INDIVIDUAL IS WORKING OUT. AND BUSINESS GOALS. OTHERWISE, I MIGHT BE EVALUATING A CANDIDATE ON THE WRONG SKILLS.
THAT INCLUDES A THREE-MONTH CHECK-IN AS WELL AS SIX MONTHS AND NINE MONTHS AFTER PLACEMENT. I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS HIRED TO PROVIDE COACHING WHERE NECESSARY.

Recruiting leaders is not rocket science. However, it requires analysis, research and being open to trusting an objective process and the consultant rather than following your intuition. In this example, I am proud to have tailored my approach over the years with the same company so that now they rely on my team to evaluate all their top management. Together, we can prioritise finding the right person for each role based on company goals, culture and the candidate’s potential. That is the recipe for success.

Peter Bachofner, Partner & Director
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